I know I’m taking a risk here.  Many a Thanksgiving dinner guest insists that the only true cranberry sauce comes out of a can in a jiggly cylinder, ridges and all.  Even those who prefer homemade sauce expect a sweet dish.

But I say there’s just way too much sugar on the menu for Turkey Day.   Something bright and savory would be a much better counterpoint to the mild bird and all those carbs.

This year, I’m offering cranberry salsa as an alternative to the desserts masquerading as side dishes.

It’s a sassy, festive dish designed to perk up appetites overwhelmed by so many sweet offerings. Chopped ginger, chile, onions and red peppers bring lively flavor and subtle heat to the familiar fruit.  And there’s still a bit of sugar to take the edge off the berries’ tart bite. (more…)

Pie season is upon us.  For the next couple of months, even cooks who live in fear of pastry will be putting holiday pies on the table to satisfy their families’ taste for tradition.  Far too many of those pies will be baked in crusts that come from the supermarket freezer.

As a recovering pastry phobe myself, I’m going to share a secret here.  Homemade pie crust is truly a snap if you let the food processor do most of the work.  I rely on a foolproof recipe we found in an old cookbook dating back to the early days of those amazing machines.  It’s been used so many times, the book’s broken spine automatically falls open to “Easy-As-Pie Crust.” (more…)

I can’t believe I nearly missed the best figs of the year.  I was out of town on family business during the height of the fabulous fruits’ late summer season in September. When I got back, the local harvest was almost over.

With any luck, however, luscious fresh figs should be available for another week or so in farmers markets and through the fall at specialty grocers. Let’s hope this week’s rains don’t wipe them out.  It would be a shame to miss at least one more opportunity to enjoy this easy fig tartlette.

The little tart is so simple that it hardly requires a recipe. The combination of buttery puff pastry, jammy figs and salty Gorgonzola is irresistible and works as well as an appetizer as dessert.  The figs soften and become even sweeter in the heat of the oven, so no sugar is required, although a little drizzle of honey after baking is a nice touch. (more…)

The way this summer has gone, it looked like there never was going to be a good time to try out my idea for adult versions of the commercial (and trademarked) Popsicle.  But the weather seems to have settled into a nice run of warm days at last and I’ve been experimenting with making ice pops with a kick.

These frozen bars are milder versions of a couple of refreshing summer cocktails made with fresh juice.  It took a little tweaking to get the flavor right while reducing the alcohol enough that the pops would freeze.  They’re supposed to be fun, not seriously intoxicating, anyway.

For my models, I drew on Lynchburg Lemonade, named after the Kentucky home of the Jack Daniels distillery, and a generic peach daiquiri recipe.  I substituted lemon juice and homemade simple syrup for sour mix in the potent lemonade recipe and stuck to fresh peaches rather than “peach-flavored” liqueurs in the daiquiri.

The results are fresh tasting and fruity—with just enough liquor to make the flavors more interesting.

These are easy to whirl together in the blender and freeze in the ice pops molds readily available in most cookware stores these days.  Let them freeze overnight and you’re ready for an impromptu party, complete with frozen drinks.

The first time I tasted a kumquat, I was startled by the contrast between the tender, sweet rind and the intensely sour flesh.

The lingering tang proved addictive, though.  Soon I found myself regularly wandering by my neighbor’s kumquat tree, searching for a tiny fruit or two to filch — just enough to satisfy my craving but not so many that they would miss them.  I’d pop one whole into my mouth and wait for the bright shock of citrus flavor evoking fresh limes and clementines. (more…)